Families across the country are set to be hit by the first national strike in Scottish schools for almost 25 years.
Members of the country’s biggest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), have voted more than four to one in favour of industrial action to protest ”damaging changes” to public sector pension schemes.
The teachers will join other public service workers in striking on November 30, which will likely result in schools closing.
Dundee’s education convener, Liz Fordyce, said she expected all city schools to close. The SNP councillor said she was saddened but not surprised by the outcome of the ballot, but added: ”I hope that just because they have voted to take action they won’t stop talking.”
Mrs Fordyce said her concerns were for the pupils who would be hard at work preparing for prelims, but she said she had sympathy for the teachers.
”I do understand where the teachers are coming from. They have accepted a pay freeze and now they are being asked to pay more into their pensions at a time when the cost of living has gone up.
”I think the whole country will be at a standstill that Wednesday. It is sad that the Tories and Lib Dems have pushed the country to the limit.”
She agreed the strike would cause difficulties for some parents in arranging childcare, but she acknowledged Friday’s announcement meant they had been given more than three weeks’ warning.
David Farmer, spokesman for the Fife local association of the EIS, said there had already been meetings between trade unions and Fife Council about the impact of the strike.
He added: ”Our expectation is that schools will be closed to children. I don’t think anybody wants to go on strike people do it as a last resort.”
Mr Farmer continued: ”We hope parents will understand that what we are fighting for here is protection of our conditions.”
He said the pension scheme was a key part of attracting good teachers to the profession.
Phil Jackson, secretary of the union’s Angus local association, said the implications for schools in the area were still to be worked out as they were due to be closed on November 30 anyway for the St Andrews Day holiday.
The strike vote came after delegates at the union’s AGM in Perth in June agreed to use industrial action to resist any deterioration in their conditions of service.
Turnout in the postal ballot was 54% with 24,426 teachers voting in favour of a walkout and 5276 against.
EIS general secretary Ronnie Smith said: ”This 82% vote for strike action is the strongest indication so far that the patience of teachers and lecturers has been exhausted. Faced with a wide-ranging attack on their pensions, on top of a two-year pay freeze, rampant inflation and education budget cuts, our members are signalling that enough is enough.
”Teachers and lecturers are highly committed professionals who do not decide lightly to strike it is more than two decades since the last national strike action. However, the pensions ‘triple whammy’ of being compelled to pay more, work longer and get less has to be challenged.”
SNP Education Secretary Mike Russell said: ”It is with regret that I hear the results of the EIS ballot on industrial action. While I agree with their campaign in response to the UK Government proposals for public sector pensions, I don’t agree with their method.”
He urged them to reconsider.
The Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland has also voted to strike but has not yet set a date to allow members time to consider the Government’s revised proposals on pensions. It will decide its next steps on November 15.
The Scottish Secondary Teachers Association also decided to ballot its members.
The EIS will join Unison and PCS in striking. The workers taking part will range from dinner ladies and binmen to NHS staff and civil servants.
Their action comes despite the UK Government offering the unions the ”chance of a lifetime” over public sector pensions earlier this week. Ministers said they had made improvements to their proposals which would benefit employees in teaching and other parts of the public sector.